Category Archives: General commentary on the world as I see it…

Science denial today

Posted on February 25, 2016 by BigBill

In my last post I talked about how, during the 1500s, the church leaders persecuted the astronomers Galileo and Bruno for their observations that the earth was not the center of the universe. Galileo recanted and was confined to house … Continue reading →

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Space is really, REALLY big!

Posted on February 11, 2016 by BigBill

It’s nearly impossible to get a grasp on how truly vast space is. I got interested in space when I was a little kid growing up in Illinois farm country. I had a map of our solar system on my … Continue reading →

Posted in General commentary on the world as I see it..., Science | Leave a comment

Electric trains and delayed gratification

Posted on February 5, 2016 by BigBill

When I was a kid (I think maybe 11), my brother Jim and I decided we wanted to have an electric train set. We looked at the different sizes (called “gauges”); HO gauge is sized in between the two other … Continue reading →

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Total recall

Posted on January 22, 2016 by BigBill

I grew up in a small farming community in north central Illinois. It’s still pretty much like it was some 6 decades later, but with different players and the Internet. Everyone knows everyone else; people belong to bowling leagues and … Continue reading →

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Nerdly aside: randomized controlled trials (RCTs) defined

Posted on January 7, 2016 by BigBill

The placebo effect is a well-known phenomenon in medicine. If a person is told they are being given an extremely powerful and effective new medication, a significant percentage will improve, even if they are not told the product they are being … Continue reading →

Posted in General commentary on the world as I see it..., Nutrition and eating | Leave a comment

It’s 2016!

Posted on January 1, 2016 by BigBill

Hard to believe, but another year is behind us and a new one just beginning. Actually, that’s true every single morning, but it seems we only take note of it on this day. It would be interesting to find out … Continue reading →

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Yeah, but…

Posted on December 25, 2015 by BigBill

In my previous post I talked about how it’s important to consider opposing viewpoints when examining what you believe. My position is that while generally true, there are situations where opposing perspectives should not be given equal time. In other … Continue reading →

Posted in General commentary on the world as I see it..., Religion and philosophy | Leave a comment

Occam’s law and space aliens

Posted on December 17, 2015 by BigBill

I think it’s important to be fair. Not just to people, but also to ideas. Critical thinking (of which I am a huge fan) requires that you carefully examine available information before deciding what’s “right.” (And by the way, that … Continue reading →

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I didn’t know them.

Posted on December 11, 2015 by BigBill

Not too long ago one of the houses in my subdivision caught fire. I heard there was an electrical short in the garage someplace, a flame started and spread to the house. The family got out with some smoke inhalation … Continue reading →

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The right to bear arms (part 2)

Posted on November 27, 2015 by BigBill

Based on how often I hear about a person’s Second Amendment right to own a gun, I had always assumed that the issue of interpretation was settled way back when. Turns out that the truth is otherwise. I finished a … Continue reading →

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